Found Object Friday with Guest Artist Barbara Buckles

Found Object Fridays: We artists love our collections don't we? Even as a child I remember foraging through flea markets and looking for special trinkets that caught my eye. Going for walks, to this day I find myself scanning the ground looking for interesting bits of metal or unique rocks to add to my collections. Long before I knew what I would be doing with them, I collected objects that pulled on something inside of me. As an artist I was thrilled to find there are others who love and collect little oddities and curiosities too. 

Over the course of ten Fridays I am honored to introduce ten different guest artists who will share some of the objects they love. You may recognize some of these names, while others may be new to you, each one is somebody whose style I admire. Check out the photos of their found object-and in a virtual show and tell, read about how it caught their attention and what they plan to do with it. Then check out their bios and links to learn more about each artist. . .

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I met Barbara Buckles through my website back in October after she saw my feature on Seth Apter's 30 Days/30 Artists blog feature. We share an affinity for all things creative and seem to hang out in the same places online. Barbara is a photographer from Chicago living in LA and the host of a new workshop venue "Make Art In LA" where I happily agreed to teach this October. Be sure to head over to the Make Art in LA and check out the cool location and outstanding line-up of workshop instructors. But first, check out Barbara's found object....

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barbara Buckles, Found Object Friday

What is it?

It’s a little rose, only 1 ½” across, made entirely of seashells and sea glass found along the shore by someone else.

Where did you find it or purchase it?

It was given to me over 30 years ago when I had just moved to Kauai. I was visiting a new friend in her little beach cottage and was admiring it when she told me she had made it, and then she just gave it to me on the spot. I couldn’t believe she could give it away and have never forgotten that moment of pure, spontaneous generosity.

Barbara Buckles, Found Object Friday

What caught your attention about it?

What first caught my attention was how realistic it looked. How could shells possibly look so much like rose petals?

How will you use it?

I have had it on display wherever I create ever since then. It’s purely inspirational…a reminder of the natural world, of kindness and generosity, of art being something that is available to us with just a little imagination. It reminds me of the artist Andy Goldsworthy who makes art out of leaves, rocks, ice, twigs, etc. We needn’t go far to find inspiration, and we can use what we have at hand. And the art we make is a gift we give of ourselves. Even if we sell it, there’s a piece of our soul deep within it that’s given freely.

Barbara Buckles, Found Object Friday

Bio

I consider myself primarily a photographer but have been migrating to mixed media over the years. I’ve written a couple books and taught workshops in the past, but now I’m hosting workshops taught by other artists. Please visit our website (www.makeartinla.com), like our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/makeartinla), and follow us on Twitter @MakeArtinLA!

Studio Spotlight Series: A Body (of work) In Motion

My final Studio Spotlight Series guest artist has been delayed in sharing with many new life events happening. I will happily share her studio at some point in the future but today I thought I'd show you the chaos that is my own studio as I prepare to leave this Sunday for Cincinnati to do the photo shoot for my book. 

The photo shoot for my book. What a surreal thing that is to say.

I am in the midst of preparing the step-outs for each of the projects and getting everything as organized as possible. This is a shot of my studio as of yesterday afternoon - just a bit over 24 hours after I had cleaned it all up. Ah, but you, my fellow artists, will understand. This is what happens when a body of work is being born! 

A Body (of work) In Motion - Studio Spotlight Series with Crystal Neubauer

And here is a picture of the calm that comes from the chaos:

"Many Happy Returns" - 10" x 10" collage by Crystal Neubauer

Workshops are forming for June in my home studio - email me at crystalneubauer@yahoo.com for details.
Visit my website at crystalneubauer.com
Sign up for my newsletter here.

Meet Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch: The Many Faces of EncaustiCamp!

This is the second post in the continuing series designed to share with you the many faces of one of my favorite places to teach, EncaustiCamp. Held each summer in the Seattle area, this extraordinary retreat not only has captured many a student and teacher's heart, but also become the subject of a soon-to-be-released book featuring each of the instructors and a few of the camp VIPs. I hope to bounce around between teachers, vendors and former students (or "lifers" as they become affectionately known), throughout the series to give you a taste of the goodness from many perspectives. 

This week, none other then the founder and fearless leader of the camp, Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch. When I first began to work in Encaustics and wanted to learn more, Patricia's first book on the subject was one that I turned to. Our paths crossed, so-to-speak, after one innocent "thumbs-up" encounter on Facebook, after which, Trish enrolled in my "Wax and Wire" workshop at Art and Soul, an invitation to come and teach at EncaustiCamp was extended, but more importantly, a friendship was formed. It is with deep pleasure and great admiration I introduce to you Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch...

------------------------------------------------------------

Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch - "Peel Your Image From the Mirror" - Encaustic on Panel

What are you teaching at EncaustiCamp this year?

Dyed in Encaustic; all kinds of yummy techniques that tint the encausticbord before encaustic comes in. We use batik tools and djanting pens to really have some fun with this foundation technique! It plays toward what I've picked up in my time in AU and it is fun to share it with everyone.

Fearless Leader & Founder of EncaustiCamp, Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch

What is the number one thing you hope to impart to the students who take your class at EC?

You can do it! There is a creative voice in everyone, and if you've come this far, to commit to attending ECamp, then you have that voice; risk trying it all and giving your all, and you will find your way in encaustic.

Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch  View of Encaustic works exhibit

What will students get from your class at EncaustiCamp that they can't get from other classes you teach?

A crazy woman! Truly-and it's not a bad thing :) I gave myself the tag line 'reach more, teach more, inspire more' over six years ago, not really knowing what that meant at the time, just having a passion to do all that it said. Students get in my workshops the crazy woman who is living out that passion in the actual; and at ECamp, the crazy woman who gets to rejoin the amazing community it's become and continues to grow into and share what the past year since the last retreat has held, inspired, taught, grown in me....crazy women are good when used in the right way! LOL

Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch - "What If Nothing Were as Veiled or Complicated?" Encaustic Work

What is your most memorable moment at EncaustiCamp?

Too many to catalog! It is beyond wonderful to have my son there; all my sons but specifically Patrick. There is just something about him there, watching him open up to the people, that is magical. Also the first year; standing in front of everyone and crying my eyes our in blissful joy and wonder that they were all there and trusted me to deliver something when I didn't even really know what that something was~

And being intimidated by Judy Wise, watching her approach across the gardens, a bit terrified as she joined me in the first year, then having her not only stay for the day she committed to, but hang out for the entire week to 'experience the peace and magic' that unexpectedly, delightful hit her there. And now, to have her as a desperately dear friend. And along with me for all three retreats this year...

And Stephen Workman pulling me aside and saying 'I don't know what it is, but you have something special. And whatever it takes I will be at EncaustiCamp to experience it each and every year.'

And Ginny Rice, on the first day, first morning, of ECamp 2013 grabbing me as we rushed to studios and saying, 'Thank you for being in the world, at this time, in this way.'

Yeah, wowzers eh?! Who does that?!!!! :)

Happy students of Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch

Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch

www.pbsartist.com

pbsartist@aol.com

Known for her foundations work and mark making, Patricia is a dynamic encaustic artist, author and international instructor steeped in experimentation and exploration. She’s worked her art to embrace the multi-faceted, all-inclusive nature of life; showing up in not only in her work-practice, but her life-practice as well. Find her traveling the globe to inspire artists and craftspersons worldwide to the ancient art of painting in melted beeswax alongside her impassioned exhibitions throughout Australia and the US and you’ll come to only dip a toe into the depth of her investment into this art form and the desire to inspire and enliven.

Found Object Friday with Guest Artist Donna Zarbin-Byrne

Found Object Fridays: We artists love our collections don't we? Even as a child I remember foraging through flea markets and looking for special trinkets that caught my eye. Going for walks, to this day I find myself scanning the ground looking for interesting bits of metal or unique rocks to add to my collections. Long before I knew what I would be doing with them, I collected objects that pulled on something inside of me. As an artist I was thrilled to find there are others who love and collect little oddities and curiosities too.

Over the course of ten Fridays I am honored to introduce ten different guest artists who will share some of the objects they love. You may recognize some of these names, while others may be new to you, each one is somebody whose style I admire. Check out the photos of their found object-and in a virtual show and tell, read about how it caught their attention and what they plan to do with it. Then check out their bios and links to learn more about each artist. . .

----------------------------------------------------------------

A talented encaustic artist and metalsmith, I first heard of Donna Zarbin-Byrne when a mutual acquaintance suggested I contacted her over our common interest in encaustic wax, but sticking her contact info in my purse, I promptly forgot all about it. A few years later I joined Fused Chicago, an encaustic art organization, which Donna was also a member of, but it was not until I went to see an exhibit the group had organized that my memory was jarred. As I stood in front of Donna's installation "Bowl of Prayers" in awe of the beauty of it, I had the niggling sense that I had heard her name before. Read on for a glimpse into the fascinating way Donna views the world around her through her artistic vision, read her bio and then be sure to visit her brand new website to see more of her work.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Donna Zarbin-Byrne Found Object Friday

What is it? 

As an avid gardener, I am always looking to nature for interesting forms which I either make molds from and cast or use directly in my work. 

Donna Zarbin-Byrne Found Object Friday

Where did you find it or purchase it?

 In this case ,I have been drying banana stems and using them in a number of mixed media sculptures.

Donna Zarbin-Byrne Found Object Friday

What caught your attention about it? 
First , I love the way they hang off the trees and are suspended in space with their big purple black blossoms. But then when they dry they transcend into strange shapes reminiscent of a spinal cord. I love the way that they evoke and refer to many different biomorphic forms at once.

Donna Zarbin-Byrne Found Object Friday

How will you use it?
It becomes the jumping off point in a sculpture that I add more elements to , both found and created.I am also inspired by the way they suspend in nature and have been using them to experiment with the way the pieces are hung and suspend off the wall.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BIOGRAPHY
Zarbin-Byrne’s work ranges from site-specific interior and exterior installations to small, individual sculptural objects and works on paper. Critic Ann-Sargent Wooster described her as “The gardener of the dreamscape.” She integrates a vast array of materials including encaustic, bronze, ceramics, and found objects.

Her work has exhibited extensively in galleries and museums across the country from New York (The Jewish Museum) to Hawaii (Schaefer International Art Gallery, Maui). She has received numerous public and private commissions including an outdoor sculpture for the city of Evanston, IL and installations for the Moriah Congregation in Deerfield, IL, and the Liquid Packaging Corporation in Wisconsin.

Donna Zarbin-Byrne holds her BFA and MFA from the University of Texas, San Antonio, with a concentration in ceramic sculpture. She is a recipient of an Individual Artists fellowship from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and she has been awarded grants and exhibitions through the Artist in Education program, Illinois Arts Council.

Zarbin-Byrne co-founded Great Lakes Metal Works & Art Studio and Artists Restoration International, Inc., which provide custom fabrication and restoration services in metal wood and stone. Her teaching experience is expansive, ranging from universities to elementary schools. She offers workshops in mixed media and encaustic sculpture techniques. She has created public murals and spearheaded art and literacy programs for both gifted and at risk children.

Visit Donna's website at donnazarbinbyrne.com

Studio Spotlight with Guest Artist Kristina Trudell

Over the course of ten Wednesday's join me in welcoming 10 guest artists as they share a glimpse into the spaces that foster their creative process. One of our ten guest bloggers referred to the artist's studio as "Sacred Space", and indeed it is just that for me. Working in the silence of my own studio is the place I am most easily able to connect to my Creator. As our guest artists share images of their own sacred spaces, they tell a bit of their creative process through the answers to four simple questions. Read about the artist in their bio and then explore the links each one will provide to get to know them a little more.

I met Kristina last year as a student in my workshop at EncaustiCamp. She was one of those people who had such a solid grasp of her own style, and such a natural propensity for the art of collage that I thought surely she was a working artist who was there to hone her skills and glean from the creativity of others, but it turned out that she was just coming back to her love of art after years of raising her family and working in another career. In reading Kristina's bio below, I want to go back in time and shake the teacher who was so discouraging to her, but I'm such a strong believer in the value of every single bit of our lives to the person that we are and are becoming, that I know Kristina's journey to becoming an artist couldn't have happened any other way. It is part of her story and part of the beauty of the art she will produce going forward. And what beauty it is.....

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kristina Trudell Studio Spotlight

What is your favorite time of day to create?
Anytime the house is quiet and I am alone is my favorite time to create. It doesn’t matter to me if it is early or late at night. The key is that I am alone.

Kristina Trudell Studio Spotlight

What do you love most about your studio?
My studio space is at one end of a huge room with a cement floor. I love that the floor isn’t precious and also that I have a huge quantity of space to expand when necessary.

Kristina Trudell Studio Spotlight

What can always be found in your workspace?
I find India ink to be useful in nearly project.

Kristina Trudell Studio Spotlight

What dream supply would you purchase if money was no problem?
I’d love to have one of Paula Roland’s hot boxes to make monoprints to use in my encaustic pieces. Hoping to make that dream a reality!

Kristina Trudell Studio Spotlight

What medium would you learn if time was not an issue?
My dream would be to go back to school for a Fine Arts degree and have a chance to be exposed to many mediums. Printmaking intrigues me at the moment. I am fortunate to have the Kirkland Art Center just down the street that offers classes in many mediums taught by professionals in their fields.

Kristina Trudell Studio Spotlight

Biography:
I come from a quiet, creative family and have had the desire to create for as long as I can remember. As a child I spent hours drawing, painting, making mosaics, ceramics, and learning to knit. Every chance I had to take art classes I did and desired to go to art school once I graduated. Unfortunately I had an art teacher in high school that told my parents since I wasn’t proud enough of my work to sign it on the front they shouldn’t send me to art school. Being quiet, a pleaser, and full of self doubt I decided the teacher must be right. 

I went on to pursue a career in healthcare, working for the last 42 years, and raising a family. My creative outlets during this time were being a classroom art docent in the school my children attended, working on auction projects, cooking, decorating, knitting, making jewelry, and an occasional art class. The desire to create has always been strong and so has the desire to be a working artist. I just didn’t know how to make it happen when my life was already so full and happy with working and raising my family.

Once my children were raised and off to college I had time on my hands even though I was still working. At this point I began to take workshops, my favorites being Encausticamp and more recently two workshops with Lisa Pressman and one with Bridgette Guerzon Mills. The instructors and students at Encausticamp were so welcoming and encouraging. I felt as though I had found my tribe! I enjoyed hearing their stories of becoming artists and that it isn’t always an easy road but it’s worth it. 

As of December 2013 I am no longer working in healthcare and feel this is my opportunity to pursue my artistic dreams. My desire at this time is to cultivate the courage to express myself and realize my artistic voice. I’m grateful for the influence of many artists whose workshops I’ve attended. I want to take what they have given me and make it my own. In order to do this you will find me working. I will treat it like a job. Ideal conditions don’t exist and I’ve stopped waiting for them. The time is now. I am an artist.

I still prefer to sign my work on the back. I feel a signature takes away from what I’ve created and I feel good about my decision! It feels right to me and that is all that matters.

One of these days I will get around to having a website. At the present time I can be reached by email at ktrudell@mac.com or on facebook under Kristina Honn-Trudell.